US rig count up two this week to 1,763

From staff reports

Published 8:49 pm, Friday, November 29, 2013

HOUSTON — The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the US increased two this week to 1,763, according to the rotary rig count report released Wednesday by Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes.

There were 1,391 rigs listed as searching for oil, up four; 367 as searching for natural gas, down two; and five as miscellaneous, unchanged. A year ago this week there were 1,386 rigs exploring for oil, five fewer than this week's count, and there were 424 rigs exploring for natural gas, a difference of 57.

The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in Texas increased three this week to 834. A year ago this week there were 855 rigs in Texas, a difference of 21. The Permian Basin held steady at 470 rigs, while the Eagle Ford added one rig for a total of 227. The Granite Wash was up one rig for a total of 62, and the Barnett finished the week at 34 rigs, an increase of one.

Rounding out the top five states by rig count were Texas; Oklahoma with 175, up three; North Dakota with 168, up one; Louisiana with 112, up two; and New Mexico with 78, down one.

Among the other major oil- and gas-producing states, Kansas added two rigs, and Ohio and Wyoming added one each. West Virginia lost three rigs, California lost two and Alaska, Colorado and Utah lost one apiece.

In the U.S. there were 1,687 rigs listed as on land, up two; 19 as in inland waters, unchanged; and 57 as offshore, unchanged. The Gulf of Mexico held steady at 55 rigs.

The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in Canada increased 17 for a total of 385. There were 215 rigs listed as searching for oil, up 15; 170 as searching for natural gas, up two; and zero as miscellaneous, unchanged. There were 399 rigs in Canada at this time last year.

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The total number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in North America — which includes the U.S., Gulf of Mexico and Canada — was 2,148, an increase of 19. At year ago this week there were 2,210 rigs in North America.